Ganriel

by D. B. Reynolds

She pulled back to look up at him with a smile. “Now that I have you, I am. And you look great. I have some things for you . . .” Her voice trailed off as she noticed the strangers in the room for the first time. She turned, putting her back against his front, her arms up and knees slightly bent, prepared to defend him. “Who are they?” she asked.

  Gabriel’s hand touched her shoulder. “These are friends, älskling. This is my brother Kato and his friend Grace. I told you about him and the others.”

  But Hana didn’t relax. She pressed herself harder against Gabriel, her eyes only for the big, fucking sword on Kato’s back, and the awareness in his eyes that there was something more to her, something not completely human.

  Everyone tensed as magic that wasn’t hers suddenly choked the air out of the room.

  “Careful, witch,” Raphael growled.

  Hana glanced over, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at Kato, who gave Raphael a very unfriendly glare before raising his hands to show they were empty. “I mean you no harm, Hana.” He looked over her shoulder. “Gabriel, you know I would not.”

  Hana felt Gabriel relax the tiniest bit behind her. “What’s with the sword?” she demanded, and heard Raphael snicker at Kato’s look of shock.

  “You can see—” He didn’t finish, as everyone in the room tensed even further.

  Hana exchanged a glance with Raphael. “I don’t see the blade exactly,” she said, answering his unvoiced question. “It’s more like an energy distortion. Can’t you see it?” She twisted to look up at Gabriel.

  Gabriel shook his head. “No, but I knew it was there. My brother is rarely without it.”

  She turned to Raphael. “You?” she asked.

  The arrogant ass shrugged dismissively and said, “This is my lair.” But then his voice hardened. “He would not have been permitted to draw it, however.”

  “Try me,” Kato growled.

  And just like that, testosterone and hostility cranked up the tension in the room once more, but a thousand times hotter than it had been. Raphael’s people, even Cyn, all stiffened into defensive postures, aimed at Kato and covering Raphael. Even Gabriel tensed, his arm circling her waist and pulling her behind him before she could stop him.

  “Gabriel,” she protested, but he was staring unhappily at his fellow warrior.

  “Brother?”

  Kato raised his hands before him again, palms out to show his lack of intent. “My apologies,” he said, turning to face Raphael. “I can only plead heat of the moment, at seeing my brother after so long.” The words were gracious enough, but the way he ground them out made his true feelings obvious. The blond woman standing behind him took his hand in what was obviously meant to be a soothing gesture.

  “Understood,” Raphael said, seeming completely unruffled by the pressing mistrust still filling the room. But then his eyes went hooded, and silver light seemed to fill his gaze. “I was somewhat heated myself when Gabriel first arrived. If not for the same reason.” He stood. “We’ll leave you to catch up.” He gathered Cyn and his vampires with a glance, his gaze settling for a moment on Gabriel for a non-verbal check. He smiled slightly when Gabriel nodded, then he put a hand on Cyn’s hip and led his people out of the room.

  Hana sucked in a relieved breath. Whatever else Raphael was, he carried a whole lot of power around with him. She’d never met anyone with that much magic inside him and wondered how he could stand it. “Maybe we should all sit down,” she said, running her hand up Gabriel’s back.

  “Are the chairs booby-trapped?” Kato sneered.

  “Of course, not,” she snapped, taking the question seriously. “And you’ve no right to speak of Raphael like that. He saved Gabriel’s life last night, and he and Cyn have been nothing but welcoming to us.”

  Kato raised his hands again. “It was a joke, Hana. This whole situation is a puzzle. Nico was on a rant when he called me, going on about the curse and something violent happening, and . . . that ‘damned vampire.’ His words, not mine. He and Raphael apparently have a history and not a good one.” He shifted his gaze to Gabriel. “I expected to find you in a bad state at best, and a prisoner at worst. Instead . . .” He gestured at Gabriel. “Here you are, brother, looking better than ever. If Raphael had something to do with that, then I owe him a debt of gratitude. But I confess, I’m confused.”

  Hana glanced up at Gabriel, gauging his response, reading reluctance in his eyes, in the tensing of his body. “Maybe we should all sit down,” she said again. “There’s a lot to tell.”

  They did, finally. Chairs were pulled out, water was poured, while Gabriel remained quiet, his big fingers tapping a nervous rhythm on the tabletop.

  “Gabriel’s curse was broken a week ago,” Hana said, breaking the silence. “We were in Nagano, Japan.”

  “Japan,” Kato repeated in some surprise. “Well, that partly explains the confusion.” He turned to Gabriel. “Nico felt the curse let go, but he couldn’t pinpoint the location.”

  “What brought you here, to Lord Raphael’s?” Gabriel asked, and Hana saw Kato’s jaw clench at the honorific.

  “Nico sent me. He sensed something last night, something powerful that convinced him you were here. But he wouldn’t tell me what it was. You know how he gets sometimes. He can be damn secretive.”

  Hana knew what the sorcerer had sensed or, at least, who’d caused it. Raphael had done something when he’d fed Gabriel his blood. She’d sensed the power but didn’t know enough about vampires or magic to know exactly what he’d done.

  Gabriel’s hand flattened on the table. He glanced once at Hana, who gave him a reassuring smile, then he turned back to Kato. “I belong here, brother. With Raphael.”

  Kato didn’t blink. “With Raphael? Did he do something to you?” he demanded, suspicion once again tightening his words.

  Gabriel shook his head. “He saved my life. Nico put a spell on me long ago, for reasons of his own. He meant well. But it was killing me.”

  “Impossible. You forget, Gabriel, I was there. I fought with you, side by side. You were one of the greatest warriors—”

  “Then, yes,” Gabriel interrupted. “But something happened when the curse was lifted. Raphael can explain it better. In fact, I should ask him to rejoin us—”

  “Wait,” Kato said urgently. “Wait. Damn. Okay, listen. Nico will be here soon. He’s tied up in Chicago, I think it is, and can’t break away. But you don’t have to make any decisions right now. He’s our leader. Talk to him—”

  “He was my leader,” Gabriel interrupted gently. “And he was a good one, a man I’d never hesitate to follow into battle. But that was a long time ago. I am not the same man that I was then.”

  Kato’s face reflected genuine pain, and Hana felt a moment of sympathy for him. He’d thought he was coming here to gather Gabriel up and take him home with him. But that was never going to happen. “None of us is the same, but we’re still brothers, aren’t we?” Kato asked.

  Gabriel glanced at Hana again, as if asking her opinion. Could his brother be trusted with the truth? Could he handle it? She nodded.

  “I’m a vampire, brother.”

  Kato exploded out of the chair. “That bastard. He did this to you? I’ll kill—”

  Gabriel was on his feet, fangs bared in aggression, a growl rumbling up from his chest.

  “Stop, both of you!” Hana said, shoving her way around Gabriel and pushing him back. Or trying to. He was a fucking wall. “Gabriel, he doesn’t understand. You!” she snapped at Kato. “Sit down and let him finish.”

  Kato speared her with a narrow-eyed look, full of distrust. He glanced at Gabriel, then back at her, and nodded. “Again, I apologize. Being here, seeing my brother like this . . . it has obviously unsettled me more than I thought.” He moved back to his chair but didn’t sit down. Not with Gabriel still radiatin
g hostility the way he was.

  Hana turned to Gabriel and put one hand on his broad chest. “Sit down, Gabriel. Finish your story. He needs to understand.”

  His eyes softened when his gaze shifted to her. Reaching behind him, he pulled her chair up next to his and gestured for her to sit, then joined her. “Sit, brother. Let me tell you my truth.”

  Kato sat down, but leaned forward intently, hands clasped.

  “Raphael did not make me a vampire,” Gabriel said first. “That happened a very long time ago, before I ever met Nico.”

  Kato’s body jerked, his expression one of surprise.

  “You didn’t know,” Hana said.

  He shook his head. “Gabriel was, still is, one of the finest warriors I’ve ever met, a loyal friend, and a brother to me in all but blood. But I never knew this about him.”

  Gabriel nodded. “Nico kept my secret. He knew how much I despised what I’d become. I was ashamed, though it was none of my choice. I was turned against my will by a vampire who then sold me like a whore to whoever could pay my price. He was my Sire, and I was a newborn vampire. I was still a warrior, as fierce as ever in battle, but when it came to resisting him . . . I couldn’t do it.”

  He paused, and he looked so sad that Hana couldn’t stand it. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around him, nestling her face against his neck with a gentle kiss. “You’re my angel.”

  Gabriel stiffened, and she thought she’d made a mistake. But then he tilted his head slightly to meet hers and ran his hand over her hair.

  “I couldn’t resist him,” he repeated, as Hana straightened next to him. “Not at first. It took years, but my strength grew, and eventually I realized that I could fight the hold he had on me. I was preparing myself, knowing I’d have to kill him to escape . . . when I felt Nico’s call. I killed my Sire and crossed half the world to get to him.”

  “But I never saw you . . . I mean, you were a berserker on the field and reveled in the bloodlust, but—”

  “Nico cast a spell. I didn’t understand what he did, and I didn’t care. He took away the bloodthirst, made it so I could walk in sunlight again. I was in awe of his power, and so grateful. He not only restored my honor, but he gave me you and Damian and Dragan. My brothers. I would have killed a thousand more than I did for him.”

  “And now? Nico is here, Damian and I are here, waiting for you to join us. What’s changed?”

  Gabriel sighed unhappily. Hana knew this was painful for him, but his determination didn’t waver.

  “Raphael is not the vampire my Sire was,” he said, trying to make Kato understand. “He’s an honorable man, a great leader.”

  “How do you know? You said yourself you only arrived last night, and he has power, brother. He can reach into your mind and—”

  “Don’t say it. You insult me by suggesting I don’t know my own mind. Even in the midst of the nightmare my life was then, I understood what was happening to me. I knew that bastard was controlling me somehow, forcing me to do things against my will. It was a constant battle in my head.”

  “And Raphael? He’s far stronger than your old master. He could have forced your vow, or—”

  “I haven’t sworn to him yet.”

  Hana could read the relief on Kato’s face, but knew it would be short-lived.

  “Nico’s spell made him my master, instead of my Sire. I don’t fault him for that. He did the best he could. But Raphael did more. He didn’t replace another’s will with his own,” Gabriel continued. “He gave me back my free will. No one is in my head now but me. I would have sworn to him last night, but he wouldn’t let me. He insisted I talk to you first, that I take whatever time I needed to be certain of my choice.”

  “Then use that time,” Kato said urgently. “Grace and I live only a few miles down the coast. You and Hana could come stay with us, have a chance to rest and recover your strength. I know how confusing the transition is from that life to this. I’ve been there, brother.”

  Gabriel shook his head. “Thank you, but I belong here. And Hana is safe here.”

  “Hana? Why is Hana in danger?”

  She put a hand on Gabriel’s arm, in a silent request to let her answer the question. “Don’t play games,” she told Kato. “You’re Gabriel’s friend, but you’re not mine. I saw the knowledge in your eyes when you first saw me. You know what I am.”

  “I know you’re something. I don’t know what.”

  “What she is, is mine to protect,” Gabriel growled.

  “I mean her no harm,” Kato hurried to add. “Although I’ll admit to being curious. I’m no novice when it comes to magic. You know that. But I can’t figure your Hana out.”

  “You should stop trying.”

  Kato laughed. “Like that, is it?” But then he sobered abruptly. “What of us, Gabriel? Are we still brothers? Is Damian? And what of Nico?”

  “We will always be brothers. Even Nico. That will never change. Should you need me, I would fight by your side in an instant. And Raphael would never try to stop me, unless your action was against him. But even then, it wouldn’t be his will that stopped me, but my own. I am a vampire. I belong here, with my people.”

  Kato shook his head sadly. “It was stupid of me to think that after so long, nothing would have changed. This world is ages and more removed from the one we fought in.”

  “Evil still exists.” Gabriel would have said more, but Hana gripped his hand again. She didn’t want him to talk about their enemy, her enemy. Not yet. And not without Raphael in the room. She wasn’t sure about Kato. He might mean well, but it wasn’t fair of him to push Gabriel to choose his loyalties so precipitously. Not after all that had happened to them in the last few days. Besides, Kato clearly had magic, and who knew what he could do with it? Raphael had called him a witch. But what the hell did that mean? She cursed her lack of knowledge and wished her grandfather hadn’t shielded her from what she was. Not that it was all his fault. She was a grown woman and could have informed herself, if she’d truly wanted. And speaking of magic, there was this Nico guy who was definitely a sorcerer. Cyn seemed to think he was okay, but Raphael just as clearly hated him. Hana wanted to make her own judgment before revealing anything about her enemy and why he wanted her. After having ignored it for so long, magic was suddenly consuming her life, and she didn’t like it.

  “We should get together,” Grace suggested, obviously trying to lighten the mood. “Just for dinner. Something casual, not earthshaking.”

  “In a day or two,” Gabriel agreed. “I’m not back to my full strength yet, and I want Hana to be safe.”

  “Gabriel, if there’s some danger to Hana,” Kato insisted, “you can share it with—”

  “Gabriel’s very protective, but he’s right,” Hana said quickly. “Neither of us is at full strength yet, and there’s always danger for people like us.” She shot a pointed look at that big, damn sword on his back. Or at least, the image of it that her fucking magic had decided to give her. She really needed to talk to Raphael about that.

  Kato stood. “Let’s make it two days hence, then. Grace will text you the details.” He looked at Hana. “Do you have phones?”

  She nodded, then shoved a paper and pen at him from the center of the conference table. “Give me your number and I’ll text you.”

  Kato passed it on to Grace, who wrote on it quickly and slid it back. “I put our address there, too,” she said. “It’s so odd that you should show up so close to where we live. More of that magic stuff, I guess.” She nudged Kato with her shoulder. He smiled, which made him seem more human than he’d been since he arrived.

  “Brother,” Kato said and held out his arms. The two big men embraced, pounding each other on the back in obvious affection. “It is so good to see you well. And so much has happened. You need to know what our enemy is up to.”


  Gabriel pulled back. “You’ve had contact with him?

  Kato nodded. “And he’s stronger than ever. But that can wait. You’re right. You’re safe here for now, and you need time to recover. Damian will be here tomorrow. He can join us when we meet for dinner.”

  “Does he still insist he’s a god?”

  Kato laughed. “He’s more insistent than ever, especially with these new weapons they’ve given him to play with.”

  Gabriel laughed. “It’ll be good to see him again, even if he’s the same arrogant ass as always.”

  “Two nights from now, then,” Kato confirmed.

  “You think the world will survive having three of you in one place?” Grace asked jokingly, as she slid her hand into Kato’s. He gazed down at her with a smile so tender, it had tears threatening Hana’s eyes.

  “As long as you’re there with me, amata, the world will be safe,” Kato murmured.

  Grace smiled, leaning into him, then glanced up at Hana and Gabriel, blushing as if she’d just remembered they were there. “You’ll text me for the details?” she asked, looking at Hana.

  Hana smiled. “Sure,” she said, then walked over and opened the conference room door. A vampire stood in a guard position just across the hall. He looked up when the door opened, speaking into a throat mike when his eyes met hers, his voice too soft for her to hear what he said. She turned back to Grace. “Gabriel’s told me so much about his brothers and the time they shared. It will be interesting to see if their stories match his,” she said, chuckling so they’d know she meant it as a joke.

  Grace laughed. “Kato’s probably will. But Damian’s another story.”

  Juro and Ken’ichi appeared at that moment, their matching expressions unyielding. Not quite hostile, but definitely not friendly, and clearly ready to escort their unwanted visitors off the premises.

  Gabriel and Kato gripped hands and slammed their shoulders together one more time, the way Hana had seen other men do, though mostly on TV or in movies. She’d never seen women greet each other like that. Certainly not in Japan, but not during her time at Princeton either. She remained by the door, giving Grace a smile and Kato a polite nod as they exited the room. She watched until they made the turn onto the stairway, then listened to their footsteps until she was reasonably sure they were gone.